Single Record

Full Details

Surname

POTTS

Forename

William

Day

07

Month

11

Year

1906

Age

53

Occupation

Assistant Braker

Mine/Quarry Name

Clifton (b)

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Allerdale Coal Co. Ltd

Location

Great Clifton

County

Cumberland

Details of Event

A self-acting incline 475 yards long with gradients varying from 1 in 4 to 1 in 13 was laid in a curved road with meetings near the curve. Two ropes, 0.75 inch in diameter, were attached to the drum at the top. It ran with sets of 8, 9 cwt. tubs. When a loaded set was about 16; yards from the top the three leading tubs became detached owing to a link in the coupling chain between the 3rd and 4th tubs giving way at the weld. These tubs ran amain and were derailed end came to a standstill at the curve, knocking out some vertical drum sheaves there. The braker pinned down the brake so as to keep the five loaded tubs, still on the rope, stationary, and then went with others to put matters right. The first of the three runaways was dealt with and then the second was put on the rails, filled with the scattered coal, a wooden scotch put into each of its pair of wheels, and it was handed over to three men and a boy to lower down the incline, which has here a gradient of 1 in 13. Two of them let go and it got away from the others, and getting on to the single line of rails below meetings ran into the empty set near the bottom, and the impact broke the rope attached to it and the five loaded tubs, which were standing on the steepest part of the incline, no longer partly balanced by the empty set, overcame the brake and moved down the incline dragging the rope to which they were attached after them. They were heard coming, and all except deceased, who appeared to have become forward, and ran down in front of them, escaped. There were refuge holes close at band in which he would have been safe or he could have stepped on to the other road.